Episode Summary
Tai Mingxiao's clumsy attempts to cover for Ye Meng and Li Jinyu's secret marriage lead to awkward encounters, while Gou Kai leaves after learning the truth. A new rival for Li Jinyu's affection, Lin Yangyang, arrives and creates tension, but Li Jinyu reassures Ye Meng of his feelings. Meanwhile, Fang Ya'en finalizes her divorce, and her friends plan a celebration. A series of bar-hopping misunderstandings ensues, ending with the core group of friends dancing the night away, strengthening their bonds.
Spoiler Alert
Deep Affection Eyes Episode 21: A New Rival and a Fresh Start
Now that Tai Mingxiao is in on Ye Meng and Li Jinyu's secret marriage, he's taken it upon himself to be their "undercover agent" at the office. Unfortunately, his attempts to help often backfire comically. When Ye Meng and Li Jinyu were sharing an intimate moment in the pantry, Gou Kai showed up looking for Ye Meng. Tai Mingxiao, spotting the situation, repeatedly tried to block Gou Kai from entering, leaving Gou Kai utterly confused by his strange behavior.
Later, Ye Meng clarifies things with Gou Kai, telling him that she and her husband have reconciled. Realizing his chances are gone, Gou Kai decides to leave Ningsui under the pretext of handling company business. With Gou Kai out of the picture, a relieved Li Jinyu takes every opportunity to be affectionate with Ye Meng, frequently calling her into his office for sweet, private moments.
However, their bliss is interrupted when Li Lingbai sends Lin Yangyang, the daughter of the Lin Group, to Ningsui. Li Jinyu receives a call from Li Lingbai and, because they've known each other since childhood, feels he can't refuse. He takes Ye Meng along to show Lin Yangyang around a construction site, but Lin Yangyang makes no secret of her crush on Li Jinyu. At dinner, she openly declares that she has been pursuing him since they were young.
The confession creates a strange and tense atmosphere. To get closer to Li Jinyu, Lin Yangyang adds Ye Meng on WeChat, asking her to help keep an eye on him. Trapped, Ye Meng has no choice but to accept the friend request. To escape the awkward dinner, she texts Fang Ya'en to come and pick her up.
As requested, Li Jinyu drives Lin Yangyang home. She cuts straight to the chase, bringing up the possibility of a marriage alliance between their families, but she can clearly tell that his heart already belongs to someone else. Meanwhile, Fang Ya'en takes Ye Meng to the Sapphire Bar for a drink. They talk about Fang Ya'en's progress in gathering evidence for her upcoming divorce case, and Ye Meng raises a glass, wishing her friend success.
When Ye Meng gets home, she finds Li Jinyu waiting for her at the door. She playfully teases him about his connection with Lin Yangyang, but he earnestly reassures her that there is nothing romantic between them. He explains that Lin Yangyang is a person who values personal gain above all else and has no genuine feelings for him, begging Ye Meng not to be jealous. Just as he finishes speaking, Cheng Kairan calls to give him a "brotherly" heads-up about the situation, not realizing Ye Meng is right there. Startled, Cheng Kairan quickly hangs up.
The next morning, Fang Ya'en is heading to court. Before leaving, she finally tells her son, Chen Jiayu, that his parents are getting a divorce. Chen Jiayu tells her that he respects her decision and just wants her to be happy. His words move Fang Ya'en to tears. She later receives the divorce decree, finally regaining her freedom.
Upon hearing the news, Cheng Kairan immediately starts decorating a bar to throw her a celebration. Li Jinyu advises him not to confess his feelings just yet, arguing that Fang Ya'en just escaped the "tiger's den" of marriage and won't be ready to jump into the "wolf's den" of a new relationship so soon. Qiao Maimai, however, encourages Cheng Kairan to be brave and pursue love.
Things get complicated when Fang Ya'en and Ye Meng decide to go to a different bar. Cheng Kairan spots Lin Yangyang entering their original location and, to protect Li Jinyu, he quickly stages a scene to make Li Jinyu look like a playboy, hoping to scare her off. He even sends a photo of Li Jinyu surrounded by other women to Ye Meng. But Ye Meng doesn't fall for the trick. She retaliates by sending Cheng Kairan a photo of her and Fang Ya'en sharing a table with some young men. Seeing the picture, Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan immediately rush over to their bar.
The young men wisely retreat when the imposing Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan arrive. The four friends then hit the dance floor. Seeing that Fang Ya'en isn't ready to go home, Cheng Kairan vows to stay with her and make sure she has a great time. Ye Meng senses that Li Jinyu is jealous about the photo and reassures him that no matter how great other guys might be, none of them can compare to him, which secretly delights him.
